borntobefine - The fitter at my running store told me that people generally go up an entire shoe size for running shoes. I wear a 9.5/10 in regular shoes but my running shoes are size 11s. It was a bit of a blow to the ego to go with such a large size but it worked for me at least.

I would never buy a brand or style without being fitted first. $130 for a pair of shoes that you have not tried on? That could be a huge waste of money. What do you mean by custom? I've been to Adidas and Nike stores where you choose your color and style on a computer program and they manufacture them and ship them to you. Is that what you mean? They might be fun to wear with jeans, but for running? I wouldn't do it.

I fifth the advice to go to a running store, have your gait evaluated, your feet measured, and try on a few different brands/styles. Running shoes should be replaced every 400 miles or so, so it depends on how far you go how soon you need to replace them. Shoes break down.

In regards to a couple posts, one good thing about getting fitted at a good running store is that if you go home with the shoes and have problems after a few trial runs, they will take them back

Very true! I had to go back and tweak mine three times... My feet are different sizes... 7 on the left and 7.5 on the right. I got the 7.5s and my right foot went to sleep, they switched me to the 8s and they were way too big for the right even with a thick sock and a tight lacing pattern so my foot slipped out, went back and they moved me back down to the 7.5 with a different lacing pattern for the right foot to give it more room to move and a pair of really thin, fancy socks. When I buy me next pair we are going to reasses and see if we need to go with the same thing or try to tweak a little more, might even try different shoes now that I know my running patterns better. They were really helpful and didn't give me a hard time about changing shoes back and forth at all.

No, not at all. I usually spend around $100 for a pair (I always buy Saucony) and replace them every 5-6 months. Your knees and hips will thank you for buying higher quality running shoes. I'd recommend going to a running store if there's one in your area so they can test your gait to make sure you're getting the right kind of support for your gait.

I always get Asics,($140.) they fit me best. The running stores are great at fitting if you get the right person.

I bought a pair of Asics from a stand and I ended up going to physio for my wrecked knee, turns out they were neutral shoes and I needed shoes that pronated. Who knew? lol
I'll never make that mistake again, I didn't like being hurt for fitness.